Clever Parents Who Are Still Teaching Their Children A Thing Or Two About Life

Many of your life lessons come from your parents when you're a child or teenager and there's a lot of wisdom that our parents can pass down to us.

So whether they're young children or grown adults, here's proof that no matter how old they get, parents can always teach them a thing or two about the ups and downs of life.

They Don't Make It Like They Used To

A reused gift bag from December 1982.
Photo Credit: Ironthumb / Reddit
Photo Credit: Ironthumb / Reddit

It's no surprise that products today just aren't made as well as they used to be. From appliances to clothing, quality has been kicked out the window in lieu of quantity. But this mom is still using a holiday gift bag from December 1982 (39 years ago, which is terrifying to think about).

It's proof that quality beats quantity every time.

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The Blunder Years

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A framed photo of a boy scowling during his school photo.
Photo Credit: wrud4d / Reddit
Photo Credit: wrud4d / Reddit
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What is something else that good parents do? Well, they take lots of photos of you growing up so you can look back on them as an adult and remember the happy memories. But if you're this kid, "happy" isn't quite what he was feeling during his kindergarten picture.

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And 20 years later, it's still proudly framed in his parents' house.

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It's Bath Time

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Kids play in/near the bathtub with is filled to the ceiling with bubbles.
Photo Credit: theadeptrunoff / Reddit
Photo Credit: theadeptrunoff / Reddit
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Good parents also teach you that - when with the right people - even mundane tasks like bathing or grocery shopping can be fun. Case in point, this dad who decided to take his kids' bath time to a whole new level.

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I can only imagine what this family's bubble bath budget is.

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Let's Talk About Bruno

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A woman receives a Mirabel doll from her dad because she looks like the Disney character.
Photo Credit: @ellomelissa / Twitter
Photo Credit: @ellomelissa / Twitter
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Disney's newest film Encanto is taking the world by storm, but this woman doesn't find her resemblance to the protagonist quite amusing as her father does.

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So while no one knows you as well as your parents do, it's proof that no one can troll you quite as savagely as your parents can, either.

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Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

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A cup has labels on it which say
Photo Credit: gavynray123 / Reddit
Photo Credit: gavynray123 / Reddit
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This user's dad said that people at his workplace wouldn't stop using his personal cup, so with the help of a label maker, he came up with a unique way to get people to keep their hands off other peoples' belongings.

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Is it disgusting? Sure, but this dad is showcasing how sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures.

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Toddler-Trained

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Toddler picks up trash and disposes of it himself.
Photo Credit: thelowflyingowl / Reddit
Photo Credit: thelowflyingowl / Reddit
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This dad's wife makes a point to pick up trash in front of their toddler and make him believe it's a game, and now the little guy picks up trash and disposes of it in the garbage can all on his own.

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"Pretty sure she is nailing this parenting thing," the dad wrote.

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Impromptu Popcorn Bowls

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Mom creates a makeshift popcorn bowl by cutting a hole in the top of the popcorn bag.
Photo Credit: HotshotS197 / Reddit
Photo Credit: HotshotS197 / Reddit
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Popcorn is a delicious treat when kicking back and putting on a movie, but for this mom, fancy popcorn bowls or containers are totally overrated.

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Using a pair of scissors, she cut a hole directly on the top of the popcorn bag, thus creating her own makeshift bowl. She's been doing this for as long as her son can remember.

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An Eye Pad

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Dad makes makeshift iPad holder after getting eye surgery.
Photo Credit: Riabetes94 / Reddit
Photo Credit: Riabetes94 / Reddit
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When you're sick or recovering from surgery, you pretty much have a free card to just veg out and watch TV while your body heals up.

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This dad is recovering from eye surgery, and we're not sure if he's an engineer, but his son definitely seems impressed with his DIY "homemade iPad holder." Now he can watch reruns of The Office to his heart's content.

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A Fresh Batch Of Brownies

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A father tells his son there are
Photo Credit: WontEverUseThis / Reddit
Photo Credit: WontEverUseThis / Reddit
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Parents often pass down to their children beloved family recipes. So imagine this man's excitement when his "dad told me there were brownies in the pan".

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Dad thinks it's hilarious, but we're not sure if his son does. The joke's on him though because it's only a matter of time before he starts making dad jokes of his own. Better start learning the trade now.

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Work Smarter, Not Harder

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A tweet that says
Photo Credit: @molly7anne / Twitter
Photo Credit: @molly7anne / Twitter
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Cleaning the house is one of those necessary evils in life, such as being nice to your extended family over the holidays or paying taxes.

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But this dad taught his daughter a valuable lesson in working smarter, not harder.

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Red Dog To Blue Leader

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A person and their dad jokingly text each other using military jargon saying they need to be picked up from the airport.
Photo Credit: dorkylibrarian / Reddit
Photo Credit: dorkylibrarian / Reddit
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This is the conversation one user had with their dad when they needed to get picked up from the airport.

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While lots of parents play games and make-believe with their kids when they're little, this conversation is proof that parents truly are your lifelong best friends, and that child-like spirit should never fade away.

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Getting An Education

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A father and son stand at the front door of their home on their first day of college/kindergarten.
Photo Credit: ThaCrimsonChinn / Reddit
Photo Credit: ThaCrimsonChinn / Reddit
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You're never too old to go get an education and chase your dreams, and that's the life lesson this dad is instilling in his son.

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This stay-at-home dad is going to college just as his son is off to kindergarten. Sure they're all smiles right now, but how cheery will this dad be if his son ends up getting better grades than him?

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A Lesson In Cell Phone Responsibility

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An old LG cell phone is inside the box of an iPhone 4.
Photo Credit: heaverdini / Reddit
Photo Credit: heaverdini / Reddit
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When a woman lost her cell phone at a bar one night, she asked her mom for a replacement. She thought she was going to get a brand new iPhone, but her mom had something else in mind hiding inside the box.

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Considering a lot of us had to get jobs in order to buy our first phones, this woman is luckier than most.

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Cold Hard Cash

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Kid receives
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit
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When it comes to birthday parties or weddings, you can't go wrong with giving cash as a gift. That's what this kid requested from his parents for his birthday, but perhaps the words "cold hard cash" were a little too specific.

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Hopefully, his parents framed this golden birthday portrait.

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A Lesson In Finances

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Tweet that says a mom charged her son rent for two years, and when he went to go buy a home of his own she gave all the money back to him.
Photo Credit: DingDongPuddlez / Reddit
Photo Credit: DingDongPuddlez / Reddit
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Learning how to be smart with money can be a bit overwhelming, but any good parent will teach their kids about how to handle their finances regardless of what point of their lives they're in.

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This mom's financial lesson was years in the making, and hopefully, he'll pass on that knowledge to his own children one day.

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Driving Lessons

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Car spedometer that has the word
Photo Credit: slippinjimmy / Imgur
Photo Credit: slippinjimmy / Imgur
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Learning how to drive can be nerve-wracking for any teenager or young adult, and many of us often learn how to drive from our parents. But if you're this parent, then you have manufactured a constant reminder for your kid to not get too accelerator-happy.

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With some very crudely drawn signs, anything faster than 60 miles per hour is now off-limits for this novice driver.

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You Can't Do It

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Parents set up a
Photo Credit: mississippimind / Reddit
Photo Credit: mississippimind / Reddit
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What's another life lesson that parents often teach their kids? Well, staying in school is a big one, and so is seeing things through until the very end.

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But if you're Owen, then your parents taught you exactly what happens when you drop out of Yale - and it's a pretty embarrassing sight.

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Little White Lies

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Writing on the back of a car that says
Photo Credit: wetbudha / Reddit
Photo Credit: wetbudha / Reddit
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Parents also like to teach us from a young age that lying is bad. So when they began homeschooling their kids, things quickly took a turn for the worst.

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Unfortunately for them, these parents are learning this valuable life lesson the hard way.

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Unintentionally Finding Your Career Path

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A woman explains she became an archaeologist because her mom used to leave behind pennies in the sandbox and told her pirates buried them there.
Photo Credit: AnxiousIndicator / Reddit
Photo Credit: AnxiousIndicator / Reddit
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Growing up, many of us believed in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, but this little girl instead believed in pirates leaving behind buried treasure - all because of her mom leaving coins for her to find in the sandbox.

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So while mom ended up getting hours of peace and quiet, she also inadvertently sparked her child's love affair and later career in archeology. Sometimes you never know where inspiration will arise.

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Cozy Cats

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A grey cat wears a fluffy yellow knitted sweater.
Photo Credit: fosterschmidt / Reddit
Photo Credit: fosterschmidt / Reddit
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This user jokingly asked his mother to knit a sweater for his cat, but where he saw it as a joke, she saw it as a challenge.

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Just know what no matter how ridiculous the request, if you ask your parents to do something, they'll probably do it. So if you need any other knitted clothing items, now is probably the time to ask.